April 2, 2013 > Never leave a child or pet alone in an unattended vehicle

Never leave a child or pet alone in an unattended vehicle

From 1998 to May 2011, a reported 500 children died in locked vehicles, according to Consumer Reports. Children and pets are less able to handle extreme heat and are more susceptible to hyperthermia, which can lead to brain damage, kidney failure and death.

San Francisco State University (SFSU) put out a recent study that stated temperatures in closed automobiles rose approximately 19 degrees in just 10 minutes, even in moderately warm weather. The API (Animal Protection Institute) conducted a study, which showed that even at 9 a.m., with an outside temperature of 82 degrees, the closed vehicle registered at 109 degrees inside. The study went on to say that if the automobile window was left cracked on an 88-degree day at 9 a.m., the vehicle turned into a 103 degree sauna, by 10 a.m. inside the vehicle.

Leaving a child or pet in a vehicle remains a perilous choice, even for just a short time.

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle. If you should see a child in a hot vehicle, call 9-1-1 immediately.

To learn more about this topic or other child safety topics, visit Safe Kids USA at http://www.safekids.org/our-work/news-press/press-releases/children-alone-in-vehicles.html